How to Read Horse Racing Past Performances

What Are Past Performances?

Past performances — known as PPs — are the statistical record of every race a horse has ever run. They're the primary tool every serious handicapper uses to evaluate a field. Think of them as a horse's résumé: every start, every fractional time, every finish position, every speed figure, all in one place.

The two major PP providers are Daily Racing Form (DRF) and Equibase. Both display the same raw data; the formatting and proprietary figures differ. Most professionals use DRF PPs for their Beyer speed figures and deeper data presentation, but Equibase PPs are free at the track and perfectly usable for learning.

Anatomy of a Past Performance Line

Each race in a horse's past performance record appears as a single line (or sometimes two lines for expanded data). Reading left to right, here's what each field means:

Date and Track

The date the race was run, followed by a track abbreviation. SA = Santa Anita, CD = Churchill Downs, SAR = Saratoga, AQU = Aqueduct. Knowing which track the horse ran at matters — a dominant figure at Penn National is worth less than the same figure at Belmont.

Distance and Surface

Distances are listed in furlongs (8 furlongs = 1 mile). The surface code tells you where the race was run:

• D — Dirt
• T — Turf (grass)
• AW or SY — All-Weather / Synthetic (Tapeta, Polytrack)
• Wd — Wet dirt (muddy or sloppy track)

Track Condition

Track conditions are graded from fast to slow. For dirt: Fast, Good, Sloppy, Muddy, Heavy, Wet Fast. For turf: Firm, Good, Yielding, Soft, Heavy. A horse that ran a big figure on a Fast track but faded on a Sloppy track may be a poor-footing horse — worth knowing.

Fractional Times and Final Time

This is where the race data lives. For a one-mile race, you'll see fractions at the quarter mile, half mile, three-quarter mile, and the final time. Example: :22.4 :45.2 1:09.3 1:35.1

These are the cumulative fractions for the entire field — specifically for the leader at each call. They tell you the pace of the race, not the individual horse's time. A horse 3 lengths back at the half-mile ran roughly a 3/5-second slower half than the leader.

Position Calls

Position calls show where the horse was positioned at each fraction point and at the finish. They're written as position-margin. For example, 3² means the horse was in 3rd place, 2 lengths behind the leader. 1ⁿᵏ means on the lead by a neck.

Reading position calls tells you the horse's running style — did it break alertly, stalk the pace, or come from far back? This is critical for pace analysis.

Speed Figure

The most important single number in a past performance line. In DRF, this is the Beyer Speed Figure. Higher is better. A 100 Beyer is elite; a 60 is low-level claiming. The figure adjusts for track variant (how fast or slow the surface was running that day), so an 85 at Saratoga and an 85 at Parx represent equivalent performances.

Jockey and Weight

The jockey who rode in that race, and the weight carried (including equipment and jockey). Significant weight differences — a horse dropping 5+ lbs — can matter in sprint races. Jockey changes are flagged separately but visible in the PP line.

Odds

The horse's final odds at post time in that race. This is useful for identifying horses that were bet down heavily (indicating sharp money) or overlooked (indicating the public missed something). A horse that went off at 15-1 and ran a fast figure was clearly underbet — worth watching going forward.

The Career Box

Above the past performance lines, you'll find the career summary box. This shows lifetime record (starts / wins / places / shows / earnings) broken down by surface, distance type (sprint vs. route), and track condition. It's a quick snapshot — a horse with a 2-for-4 record on turf and 0-for-12 on dirt has a clear surface preference.

The Workout Tab

Below the past performance lines, you'll find workout lines — timed morning drills from the training track. Each line shows: date / track / distance / time / surface / how worked (breezing or handily) / rank among workouts that day.

• Breezing (b) — horse runs on its own without encouragement
• Handily (h) — jockey uses hands for encouragement
• Bullet work (•) — fastest workout at that distance on that day
• Gate work (g) — worked from the starting gate; important for first-time starters

A series of progressively faster workouts ("tighteners") heading into a race is a positive sign. A horse with a single work and long gap between races is a risk. First-time starters with multiple bullet works from a top barn are worth extra attention.

Key Abbreviations Reference

• MSW — Maiden Special Weight (unraced or non-winners, highest maiden class)
• MCL — Maiden Claiming (lowest maiden class)
• CLM — Claiming race
• ALW — Allowance race
• STK — Stakes race
• OC — Optional Claiming
• NW1X / NW2X — Non-winners of 1 / 2 races lifetime (allowance conditions)
• L — Lasix (diuretic, noted in equipment)
• b — Blinkers (on or off, noted in equipment changes)

Reading a PP in 30 Seconds

When you're working through a full field, here's a fast process:

1. Scan the speed figures — what's the horse's recent figure range?
2. Check the surface and distance — has it run this distance/surface before? How did it do?
3. Look at the position calls — is it an early runner, presser, or closer?
4. Note the class of recent races vs. today's race
5. Glance at workouts — is the horse freshened up and sharp, or flat?
6. Check the last race — was there a trip issue? A bad start? A wide trip?

"The past performance is a history, not a prediction. Your job is to figure out which history is relevant to today."

Where to Get Past Performances

• DRF.com — the standard. Paid ($2–$7 per card or subscription). Beyer figures included.
• Equibase.com — free basic PPs with Equibase Speed Ratings. Available at every OTB and track.
• Brisnet.com — alternative to DRF with different pace figures. Popular with speed/pace handicappers.
• HANA (Horseplayers Association of North America) — useful resource for finding the best value PP products.